Mechanism for suspending a flush valve from the trip lever



A. W. HARKNESS Feb. 27, 1962 3,022,517

MECHANISM FOR SUSPENDING A FLUSH VALVE FROM THE TRIP LEVER Filed Oct.14, 195s Andrew M. Harkness 1N VEN TOR.

9 BY wand WWW 3% rhaimnrmmmmmw llll rs-uall United States Patent3,022,517 MECHANISM FOR SUSPENDING A FLUSH VALVE FROBI THE TRIP LEVERAndrew W. Harkness, 36 Jackson Ave., South Glens Falls, N .Y. Filed Oct.14, 1958, Ser. No. 767,167 2 Claims. (Cl. 4-57) The present inventiongenerally relates to a novel interior construction in flush tanks andmore particularly to a particular mechanism for suspending the usualflush valve from the trip lever.

In conventional flush tanks, the upstanding rod from the flush valve issupported in a guide and normally is provided with an eye on the topthereof. A second link of rigid wire is connected to the trip lever andis provided with an ofiset eye encircling the rod below the eye memberon the top thus providing a lost motion connection between the valve rodand the wire rod suspended from the trip lever. This offset lift featurequite often caused binding and incomplete closing of the flush valve.Therefore, it is the primary object of the present invention to providea novel mechanism for suspending the flush valve from the trip lever andmore particularly to provide such a mechanism which is flexible andwhich has a novel means for attachment to the upper end of the valverod.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a device inaccordance with the preceding object which is simple in construction,easy to install, effective in operation and relatively inexpensive tomanufacture.

These together with other objects and advantages which will becomesubsequently apparent reside in the details of construction andoperation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, referencebeing had to the accompanying drawing forming a part hereof, whereinlike numerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which:

FIGURE 1 is a side elevational view of a portion of the interior of aflush tank illustrating the mechanism of the present invention installedtherein;

FIGURE 2 is a perspective view of a portion of the invention;

FIGURE 3 is a vertical sectional view taken generally along thelongitudinal center line of the mechanism for connecting the lift rod onthe valve to the flexible lifting element;

FIGURE 4 is a transverse, sectional view taken substantially upon aplane passing along section line 4-4 of FIGURE 3;

FIGURE 5 is a sectional view similar to FIGURE 3 illustrating anotherform of the invention; and

FIGURE 6 is a sectional view similar to FIGURE 3 illustrating stillanother form of the invention.

Referring now specifically to the drawings, numeral 10 generallydesignates the flush tank including a bottom 14 and the usual supply ofwater 16 disposed therein which is controlled by a float member 18mounted on one end of a float rod 20 for controlling the inlet valve. Adischarge adapter and valve seat 22 is mounted on and extends throughthe bottom 14 and the adapter 22 is provided with a laterally offsetportion 24 having the usual overflow pipe 26 extending upwardlytherefrom for providing discharge for overflow of water in the event thefloat 18 does not work properly. Extending into the open upper end ofthe overflow pipe 24 is a refill tube 28 for refilling the commode afteremptying in a manner well known. There is also provided a trip lever 30connected to the usual handle for swinging movement in a vertical planewith the trip lever 30 having a series of apertures 32 in the free endthereof which generally are in the same vertical plane as the adapter22.

Supported on the valve seat in the adapter 22 is the 3,622,517 PatentedFeb. 27, 1952 ice usual hollow flush valve 34 having a vertical valverod'or stem 36 secured thereto in any suitable manner with the upper endof the stem 36 being externally screw threaded as indicated by thenumeral 38. The valve rod 36 is slidably supported and orientated by aguide bracket 40 having a pair of loops 42 encircling the rod 36 andhaving a split clamp assembly 44 for rigidly and adjustably clamping thesame onto the overflow pipe 26.

For connecting the threaded upper end 38 of the stem 36 with the triplever 36, there is provided a main body of generally cylindricalconfiguration and designated by the numeral 46 which includes alongitudinal bore 48 extending into the same from the upper end thereofand a longitudinal bore 50 extending into the same from the lower endthereof with the bore 50 being larger than the bore 48. An insert 52 isdisposed in the bore 50 and the insert 52 is provided with an internallythreaded socket or blind bore 54 for detachably receiving the threadedend 38 of the valve rod 36. Extending into the bore 48 is the free endof a bead chain 56 which terminates adjacent the juncture between thebore 50 and the bore 48. A split and generally bell-shaped retainer 58is mounted on the last head of the beaded chain 56 and includes anoutwardly-extending peripheral flange 69 disposed in the larger bore 56thereby preventing withdrawal of the beaded chain 56 from the body 46inasmuch as the insert 52 is held securely in the bore 50. The other endof the beaded chain is secured to one of the apertures 32 by virtue of aspring ring 62 whereby the beaded chain 56 provides a flexibleconnection between the trip lever 36 and the body 46 as 'Well as the rod36 thereby providing an upward pull on the rod 36 generally in alignmentwith the longitudinal axis thereof.

FIGURE 5 illustrates a modified form of the present invention in whichthe main body is designated by the reference numeral 64 and includes asmall longitudinal bore 66 communicating with the top surface thereofand an enlarged longitudinal bore 68 communicating with the bottomthereof with the bore 68 having an insert 69 receiving the threadedupper end 72 of a valve rod 74. The bore 66 receives a nylon coated wire70 or equivalent material which is knotted as indicated by the numeral72 at the lower end of the bore 66 thus securing the nylon covered wire70 or similar device to the body 64.

FIGURE 6 illustrates another form of the invention in which the body isdesignated by the numeral 76 and which includes a small diameter bore 78and a larger diameter bore 80. The smaller bore 78 receives a nyloncovered wire 82 knotted as indicated by the numeral 84. The lower borereceives directly the screw threaded end 86 of the valve rod 88.

In each in 'tance, the valve rod is attached to a flexible lift memberwhich is secured to the trip lever. The nylon wire is secured to thetrip lever by threading through the several apertures appearing in thetrip lever for securing the flexible nylon covered wire to the triplever.

While the device may be constructed of various shapes and sizes, thedevice is contemplated being constructed principally of birch wood butmay be constructed of various other materials such as plastic, hardrubber, sponge rubber or the like. The main body is approximately threequarter inch in diameter and may be approximately one and one-halfinches long with the top of the I same being fiat and the lower parthaving about a 45 taper.

The foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles ofthe invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes willreadily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limitthe invention to the exact construction and operation shown anddescribed, and accordingly, all suitable modifications and 'end of thevertical lift rod, and flexible means connected 'to said body member andsaid flexible member whereby the forces exerted'on the body member aretransmitted "through a flexible member and the flexible means, said bodybeing provided with a small longitudinal bore communicating with theupper end thereof and a larger longitudinal bore communicating with thelower end thereof,

said bores communicating and forming a shoulder, said flexible memberextending through the smaller bore, said flexible means including anenlargement means on the inner end of the flexible member for engagingthe shoulder defined by the juncture between the smaller and largerbore, said flexible member being in the form of a bead chain, saidenlargement means including a split bell-shaped retainer engaging thelast bead of the chain for mounting the chain on the body.

2. In combination with a flush tank having an overflow tube disposedvertically therein, a guide member mounted on the overflow tube, a flushvalve ball having a stem extending upwardly therefrom and verticallyguidingly received by said guide member, one end of said stem extendingabove the guide member and being threaded, 'a' manually operated liftlever support from the tank and overlying the threaded end ofthe stem inspaced relation thereto, an enlarged solid body threadedly engaged withthe threaded end'of the stem, and a flexible whereby lifting forceexerted on the body will be through the flexible member, said bodyincluding a longitudinal bore extending therethrough in alignment withthe stem and including an upper portion and a lower portion with ,theupper portion having a smaller diameter than the lower portion therebyforming a downwardly facing shoulder, and means on' the end of saidflexible member remote from the lift lever engaging the shoulder therebytransferring lifting force from the flexible member to the body, saidshoulder being located intermediate the-ends of the bore whereby thelifting force will be transferred to the body in spaced relation to theends thereof, said threaded stem terminating adjacent said shoulder,said lift lever being provided with a plurality of longitudinally spacedapertures, said flexible member being attached to one of the apertures,a split ring member forming a connection between the flexible member andthe lift lever for orientating the flexible member in alignment with thestem, said flexible member being in the form of a bead chain, said meanson the end of the chain engaging the shoulder including a split,bell-shaped retainer engaging the last bead of the chain, saidbell-shaped retainer having an outwardly extending bottom flange forreception in the upper end of the lower portion of the bore.

References Cited in the file. of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS297,455 Scott Apr. 22, 1884 1,987,229 Curtin Jan. 8, 1935 2,625,691Clifton Jan. 20, 1953 2,719,304 Schultz Oct. 4, 1955 2,777,135 HarknessJan. 15, 1957

